Anti-Pruritic Efficacy of Caffeic Acid by Inhibition of Kappa-Opioid Receptors

Activation of the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) produces antipruritic effects. In this study, the molecular docking technique was utilized to investigate the probable antipruritic activity of caffeic acid. Three KOR proteins were studied for their involvement in scratching behaviors. The in-silico docking results revealed that binding affinities ranged from -۷.۰۶ to -۵.۰۸ kcal/mol toward the target proteins, the kappa opioid receptors. Caffeic acid showed moderate antipruritic efficacy almost close to the gabapentin drug.

Keywords:

Antipruritic , Caffeic acid , Itching , Kappa-opioid receptor , Molecular docking